Travel Tidbits

November 2006 issue

A resort in southern Argentina, the town of Bariloche is a gem. During an August trip we took, it was winter (about 40˚F) and there was snow on the surrounding mountains. Lots of children from Buenos Aires were there for vacation, making it a very lively place. Bariloche has the best chocolate and ice cream I have ever tasted, even better than those in Europe. — KEVIN O’BRIEN, Tybee Island, GA

The Trans-Siberian Express is a first-class private train operated by a British company. On our 8-day trip across Siberia to Moscow in July ’04, booked through MIR Corp. (Seattle, WA; 800/...

September 2005 issue

Travel Tidbits

On a visit in April ’01 we enjoyed strolling on Aix-en-Provence’s main street, Cours Mirabeau. Lined with the beautiful plane trees that are characteristic of this part of France, it is a huge, wide street with many cafés, restaurants and shops. Cézanne lived here for many years, and you can take a walk to significant places in his life; they’re marked by brass plates on the sidewalk. We also enjoyed the farmers’ market. I had no idea there were so many varieties of asparagus! — RICHARD BERNER, San Diego, CA

On our trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina, in March ’04, I was amazed...

December 2006 issue

Travel Tidbits

Fethiye, Turkey, has a wonderful small market with everything you might wish to buy — great jewelry, rugs, spices. . . . On a June-July ’04 tour with Treasures of Travel (Edmonds, WA; 800/572-0526), I found wonderful things there for my home and for my friends. — PEGGY LONG, Portland, OR

In Helsinki, Finland, I took the zoo ferry, called Korkeasaari. This short ride showed me a beautiful view at the harbor and landed me at the zoo, on a lovely island of trees and granite outcroppings. The sheer granite is perfect for the Eurasian goats that clamber on the natural cliffs in their...

October 2005 issue

Travel Tidbits

On our trip to Thailand in February ’02, we found Bangkok hot and crowded, and the pollution was unbelievable. The northern part of the country was much nicer.— BARBARA RAGLAND, Oroville, CA

New Zealand appeared very “user friendly” to me during a tour my wife and I took in January ’98. The costs were reasonable, though not inexpensive, and it seemed to be a great destination for even the most inexperienced independent travelers, if they could negotiate left-side driving. Those fond of breakfasts in the U.K. would love the hotel buffets in N.Z. Not being a fan of British...

January 2007 issue

Travel Tidbits

We took an exhilarating, 2-hour white-water rafting trip down Chile’s Sarapiquis River during a December tour with Overseas Adventure Travel (800/221-0814 or www.oattravel.com). We were told the Sarapiquis was a Class III river (medium to moderately difficulty). We would experience a few minutes of rapid paddling on our trip interspersed with periods of calmly floating down the river. Many of us thought that, if these were Class III rapids, we were ready to challenge Class IV or V. The expert boatmen on our rafts made the experience seem easy. — MASAO MATSUMOTO, Arlington, VA

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November 2005 issue

Travel Tidbits

On my tour of the Dalmatian Coast in July ’03, I took a day trip to Pula, Croatia. I think the best bet once there is to take a taxi to the coliseum. It’s too easy to get lost, otherwise. I arrived in the early morning and caught the last of the good light to photograph and also beat the tourist buses’ arrival. This is a good place to just sit and soak up the atmosphere for about an hour. A 15-minute walk up the hill takes you to the castle — only mildly interesting. If you’re in a time crunch, give it a miss. — SAMANTHA SARTAIN, Colorado Springs, CO

On a tour of Russia’s...

December 2005 issue

Travel Tidbits

The Palámidi fortress in Nafplio, Greece, was the best of all the fortresses we visited in that area on our trip. It was built by the Venetians from 1711 to 1714 but was seized by the Turks the following year. My wife and I must have burned up four rolls of film between us on the structure. Adding to its appeal were all the colorful spring wildflowers coming up in crevices between the rocks. If you’re more ambitious and have the time, you can walk up 999 stairs from the town to the fortress. — RICHARD BERNER, San Diego, CA

I spent the night at a farmhouse in the Burren,...

January 2006 issue

Travel Tidbits

A very surprising highlight for us on our trip to New Zealand was Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter & Underwater World in Auckland. It features an excellent aquarium walk-through, a polar theme ride and a museum, all situated underground beneath a highway! — NORM LOEFFLER, Wichita Falls, TX

During our trip to New Zealand in March ’03, we were determined to find a yellow-eyed penguin on our own. Locals suggested Allen’s Beach (near Dunedin, South Island) at 6 p.m. Alone, we hid behind the rocks and blinked as a penguin swam in on a wave, stood up, waddled ashore, preened and...